The Truth of That Year

Naruto watched his big brother leave with someone who looked vaguely familiar. Still unable to make sense of what was happening, he scratched his head and said:

"Why do I feel like I've seen that guy before?"

"Idiot."

Sasuke was speechless. Naruto had seen Hokage Rock plenty of times. How could he still fail to recognize him?

Sasuke was at least smarter than Naruto. The man's hair color alone was enough for him to guess how the two were related.

No wonder his father had never answered whenever he asked about Naruto's parents.

His father had never dodged the question the way he did with Naruto, though. He had only said Sasuke should be able to figure it out.

Now he had. Naruto was the Fourth Hokage's orphaned son.

Sasuke clicked his tongue. If there was one thing he hated, it was people who got ahead through connections.

But Naruto took that click of the tongue as a sign Sasuke had a problem with him.

"You're the idiot! Stupid Sasuke!"

"Naruto, looks like I need to teach you a lesson this time."

"That's my line, Sasuke!"

"Naruto!"

"Sasuke!"

The moment no one was watching, the two of them would start fighting each other, usually forgetting everyone else around them.

Itachi and Minato came to a nearby grove. Once Itachi was sure no one was watching, he got straight to the point.

"Fourth Hokage, may I ask about your current condition...?"

Minato had no intention of hiding it from him.

"Senior Orochimaru made it possible for me to move around like this for a while. Xuanye... asked me for the half of the Nine-Tails' Chakra I took into the Death God back then."

"That's not why I came here, though. The Nine-Tails should have sensed that its other half's Chakra